Housework blues.

I have a friend who is fanatical about cleanliness and tidiness - I don’t know what she must think of me but we are good friends so chez moi can’t be too much of a health hazard- but recently a visitor complimented her on her house which they said was “like a show hone”.
She was delighted, but I’d have been horrified, my house is lived in -and looks it!

Glad I'm not alone in this struggle. Oh I wish I had the energy I had when the kids were little! Then again, that was 20+ years ago. I remember waking up actually looking forward to doing laundry and cleaning. Doing the floors in my hands and knees, Murphy Oil on the woodwork weekly... Now I'm just uninspired. I love a clean house but it's the getting there that I'm not so good at. I just put things off forever and it gets overwhelming. Then again, I do work as a bedside nurse which takes a lot of energy although I love it.

Could it be possible that after decades of cleaning, it just loses it's thrill?! My house would be pretty clean except for my husband and pets. Husband spilling things and somehow getting ice cream and yogurt all over the fridge handles- it's like having a toddler in the house only much less charming. Then the rabbits and their hay and fur everywhere- they're a mess but I do love them.

I think I'd be embarrassed to have a housecleaner- I would put more effort into getting the house ready for the cleaner than I do into doing it myself.

Set a stopwatch and time how long it actually takes you to do a job, whether a routine job or a one-off. You'll be surprised how short the time is. That way you won't be put off doing things. If you know cleaning a floor only takes 10 minutes, you can look forward to a cup of tea in 10 minutes. If you think it'll probably take half an hour because that's what it feels like, you are less likely to even start.

When I am in a can't be bothered to do housework mood, I put on a tv programme like poirot which has ad breaks. Each break I get up and do a little task or part of a task. It quickly mounts up. I always make sure the kitchen is clear before I go to bed as that helps my mood in the morning. I keep to a routine and have a set day for cleaning the bathroom, changing bedding, dusting etc. I suppose it depends on how big your house is and how much clutter is in it.

I have 2 cleaners for one and a half hours every week. I could do it myself but choose to do other things. I also have a gardener for 2 hours a week.
I like to sit in a reasonably tidy room but do not stress about it as long as the bathrooms and kitchen are clean I do not worry.
Like everything else house work has its place but not at the top of the list.

I would suggest you start by deciding what you really think your standards are.

We are none of us getting any younger, so ask yourself, do you want to try to keep to the standards of your younger self and perhaps spend twice the length of time doing tasks, or find yourself unable to move tomorrow because of what you did today?

Once that is decided, spring clean as described above, and when everything is spick and span, decide whether you actually like it like that, or prefer a little more clutter and comfortably lived in look to your home.

Then examine your preferences: do you prefer to do a little every day working to a schedule, or have a grand tidying-up session once a week, once a month or twice a year?

A new way of doing things might be what you need, but it is YOUR home, YOUR time and YOUR life, so YOU decide and to hang with the nosy neighbours who think you ought to have cut the hedge, mowed the lawn, or washed the kitchen floor!

shysal

No routine for me, I do things if and when I feel like it, which is not very often.

High five!

Like you, since my husband dies, everything has become - I'll do it tomorrow !

Have a cleaner coming, as I am so ashamed

Gosh, you’re showing me up! No wonder my place is in grubby chaos most of the time!

You and me both! I would love it if someone tidied up after me, but I can’t be bothered. Every now and then I have a blitz when things get too bad!

I sneak up on cleaning - bathroom and kitchen are daily jobs but other things get done as and when.
When OH goes out for the day I open the windows and doors and have a complete front-to-back clean. That's at least once a month so I guess it gets us by.
This time last year we were selling our house and so cleaning was a daily event - I reckon I'm allowed to down tools for a bit now!

I live alone in a small house; six rooms in total, plus garage and a small back garden. I have a ‘housework week’, when I do one room a day along with any washing and ironing that need doing. I take my time but try to finish by early afternoon so that I can have the rest of the day to myself. I have a window cleaner who does the exterior windows; the interior ones I do myself. The majority of my groceries are delivered.

Meant to add that during my ‘no housework week’ I visit museums, see friends and family, and generally please myself!

I only became good at 'blessing my house' by cleaning it when I went onto the market. Still never got into a routine unfortunately, and I never ever think of cleaning out the fridge!

I’m so glad I am not the only one to wonder about this. When I worked shifts, full time and was also studying, I kept things pristine. Since I have fully retired it’s not so shiny and gleaming. I believe some of it is because my thought process is….I don’t fancy doing that right now….I’ll do it tomorrow.
I, also, am not as fit nor as healthy. I believe a cleaner/house keeper/robot would be the answer. :-)

You could try The Organised Mum Method. 30 minutes a day Monday to Friday.

No tips…..just do what needs to be done to keep yourself healthy and reasonably sane. You’re retired…..act it!

I am just the same, I only do housework if someone is coming to the house. I just don’t have the motivation especially since lockdown. It’s just me and my adult son who has ASD and he doesn’t care what the house looks like. Last weekend we were having a Eurovision party so I blitzed downstairs but upstairs was a tip. I didn’t think anyone would be going upstairs because we have a downstairs loo. Imagine how mortified I felt when a friends girlfriend asked if she could use the upstairs loo! ?

You say "organize". Is your home what you'd call disorganized?

If it's 'only you' in the home, do you mean rather that you don't feel inspired to do the basics of cleaning/tidying up?
I can understand that, if you feel that no one will see it anyway. It does feel, even to me sometimes, that I'm the only one who notices the work I've put into cleaning!

I often wonder what my own home would be like if I had no one living here but myself.
I would think that if dishes needed doing, I'd do them.
Beds made, a quick vac, dust when necessary etc...

If a thorough cleaning each week is important to you, then just start, as one person said, one room at a time, more if you have the energy.

Sorry but other than that, if you live on your own, I can't even imagine it looking disorganized unless you haven't done a tidy up/purge of unused items/ fridge/freezer clean in ages, as necessary.

Just do what you can do, tidy rather than clean, and enjoy your free time doing something you would like to do!

Can't offer you any tips beautybumble, I'm in the same camp as Maw. When I can write my name in the dust on flat surfaces I clean them. The floor is usually grubby thanks to DH and our dog. Loos get a cursory wipe over every other day. Laundry gets done when we run out of clothes, the same with ironing. My ironing board and iron are always in the diner, but they're there for me to iron whatever sewing I'm working on, clothes take second place. Our house is very much 'lived in'. One of our GC said "I like going to Nanny's, she doesn't mind if I make a mess" No, I don' t mind and nobody would notice if they did! Life is too short to walk round with a duster in my hand. We do have a frantic clean up and tidy if anyone's coming to stay, thankfully it's not very often. If they're just dropping in they have to take us as they find us.

Invite someone over,that always makes me clean?

Don’t do routine either. Kitchen cleared after main meal prep. Bath and shower as soon as been used..while still warm and wet.easier. Loos as required, kept sweet smelling and clean with a tablet thing, don’t have dining room, bedrooms as required..only one used, one as study with comp. etc. other 2 storage. Days are busy, dog walk, volunteering, singing in choir (need to practice) singing lesson..yet more practice, yoga,shopping, Brownies.

Housework is not my idea of fun, but needs must etc: So, you may think I am daft but I have games I play on myself.
First of all_ Walk round tidy. Start where you are, spot something out of place, put it away. Repeat until exhausted.
Have a cup of tea.
Second ploy. Make a list. Time each job, start and finish times. No dallying, can I beat the target?
Or third ploy. Make a list. Number the tasks. Make slips of paper bearing the numbers. Fold up, put in a dish, stir and and pick. Tick off the list when done. Save the number slips.
Have a G&T. When one gets to 84, enjoy life. XX

I'm very routine. Deep clean bathrooms, bedrooms and washing Monday. Ironing, deep clean kitchen on Tuesday, and lounge and dining room on Tuesday. Bathrooms and kitchen get quick tidy as I go along daily. Washing, windows cleaning and gardening Wednesday. Thursday is ironing and meal planning and shopping list. Friday is quick cleaning, washing and shopping. Saturday is ironing. Sunday is my day. I do gardening in afternoons.

Another fan of Flylady here. She was my lifesaver almost 20 years ago and I loved her posts on youtube, It started with shining your sink, I believe. Give it a go!